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What exactly did George see in the memories of those two children?
It turned out that over four hundred years ago, Rogue and Sting were chosen by a Celestial Spirit Mage named Anna Heartfilia to take part in a time-travel project.
Alongside them, Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy were also selected.
Anna was responsible for teaching the five children language, culture, and general knowledge, while five dragons—Igneel, Grandeeney, Metalicana, Skiadrum, and Weisslogia—were each tasked with instructing a child in Dragon Slayer Magic.
Their ultimate goal was to pass through the Eclipse Gate and travel four hundred years into the future to defeat the Black Dragon, Acnologia.
Before the journey, the Shadow Dragon and White Dragon, whose lifespans were nearing their end, transformed themselves into Dragon Lacrima and implanted them into Rogue and Sting. They then sealed the children's memories using Dragon Soul Magic.
Meanwhile, Igneel, Grandeeney, and Metalicana hid themselves within Natsu, Wendy, and Gajeel to prevent them from turning into dragons, also sealing their memories in the process.
After everything was set, Anna used the twelve Golden Keys to open the Eclipse Gate. When the two boys awoke, they had arrived in the future, four hundred years later, and Anna, along with Natsu and the others, were nowhere to be found.
All they had left in their minds were scattered memory fragments of the White Dragon, Shadow Dragon, Natsu, and Gajeel.
"So the Eclipse Gate really can allow travel through time," George murmured.
Based on the memories of the two children, George inferred that Anna and the five children must have been separated when passing through the Eclipse Gate.
Natsu ended up near Magnolia and joined Fairy Tail.
Gajeel landed near Phantom Lord and became a member of that guild.
Wendy was found by Mystogan and taken to Cait Shelter.
Sting and Rogue landed together, wandering aimlessly until they encountered two Exceeds and began living together. After watching the Grand Magic Games, they became inspired to join Fairy Tail.
As for Anna, her current whereabouts were completely unknown.
"I'll go look for her once things settle down."
Although George now knew the origins of Natsu and the others, he had no intention of searching for Anna just yet.
Natsu and the others were still sealed inside the Fairy Sphere, and without a lunar eclipse, he couldn't activate the Eclipse Gate anyway.
Anna's goal was to defeat the Black Dragon, and George shared that goal—but the time for that hadn't come. He simply wasn't strong enough yet.
His immediate priority was to return to the guild and fully absorb the vast amount of magic he had obtained. After that, he would continue unraveling the secrets of the Fairy Sphere.
Finding Anna would be easy. A single tracking spell would suffice.
After staying in the capital for two more days and finishing the duplication of all the magical tomes, George led the original Fairy Tail members, the new recruits, the princess, and her royal guards on a grand return to Magnolia.
Next, George began outfitting Fairy Tail's mages with standardized magical equipment of his own design: enchanted door keys, spatial storage boxes, wands, invisibility cloaks, and iron beasts. He also began upgrading their weapons.
Once the guild was fully on track, George secluded himself in the basement once more to resume his intensive magical research. He left the management of the guild in the hands of Macao and Minerva.
Meanwhile, in the Harry Potter world, the second term of the school year had come to an end.
Thanks to the Time Turner doubling his study hours, the magical knowledge from other worlds as a foundation, and additional tutoring from Dumbledore and Snape, George had already mastered nearly every form of magic and alchemy available.
However, for subjects like Herbology and Potions—which were highly specific to the wizarding world—his performance was merely average.
After all, the herbs native to that world didn't exist in others. Even if he learned about them, he couldn't replicate the potions elsewhere.
More importantly, he realized that many of the effects achieved by potions could be duplicated using magic alone.
So instead of spending time on such niche subjects, he chose to devote all his energy to magic and alchemy.
Of course, when he said "average," he meant that he hadn't put in significant effort to delve deep. But if judged by regular school standards, he was still top of the class.
After all, he had a photographic memory. Memorizing facts for Herbology was trivial. As for Potion-making, which relied on memory and a steady hand, it was child's play for him.
Because he had been so focused on magic and alchemy this term, George had barely spent any time with Hermione, Harry, and the others—even when they'd come to discuss little Sirius, he'd brushed them off with a few indifferent remarks.
"George, there's nothing more I can teach you—at least in magic and alchemy!"
A few nights before the final exams, in the headmaster's office, Dumbledore looked at George with nothing but astonishment.
He had always thought his own talent rivaled Grindelwald's, yet George had far surpassed them both. In just one year, he had absorbed every bit of magical and alchemical knowledge Dumbledore possessed.
Often, Dumbledore only had to explain a concept once, and George would grasp it effortlessly—and even extend it in new directions.
"Now," Dumbledore said, "what you need is time to let this knowledge settle, and you must put it into practice."
"Put it into practice?" George echoed, falling into thought.
He knew Dumbledore didn't mean mere repetition. Though he'd practiced magic and alchemy incessantly in other worlds, Dumbledore's point was different.
True practice isn't just about using a skill repeatedly.
At Hogwarts, and under Dumbledore's tutelage, George had learned vast magical and alchemical theories—and he'd applied them elsewhere. But those had been other worlds.
For example, imagine learning all the culinary techniques from a top Chinese chef, then opening a restaurant abroad. You'd continue to hone your cooking, even learning Western methods, and might surpass your master overall. Yet in authentic Chinese cuisine, you'd still trail behind—because the master had spent years cooking in top domestic kitchens and sparring with the best regional chefs.
To truly master those techniques, you'd have to immerse yourself in that environment, learning directly from every available expert.
Likewise, although George's raw magical power now exceeded Dumbledore's, within this world's magical system he still had much to learn.
To break new ground, staying at Hogwarts wouldn't suffice. He needed to step into the wider magical community and train among renowned, capable wizards.
Someone like Ron's father, Arthur Weasley—while his alchemy might not match Dumbledore's, he had unique insights. Exchanging ideas with him would surely elevate George's alchemical skill.
"Headmaster," George said, determination in his voice, "I'd like to apply to graduate early and begin an internship at the Ministry of Magic. I want to solidify and apply what I've learned through real-world experience."
He planned first to intern at the British Ministry, then, once he'd assimilated his knowledge, to move on to other magical governments around the world—traveling as widely as possible to master every aspect of magic this world had to offer.
(End of Chapter)